Amber Golden Raskin, Founding Board President
Amber Golden Raskin Is a veteran charter school founder and accomplished television producer with expertise in school governance and business management. Amber has worked tirelessly for the past several years to launch Santa Clarita Valley International (SCVi) Charter School. The idea for the school began when Amber, who had moved to the Santa Clarita Valley for its outstanding neighborhood schools, quickly became disillusioned when she realized that her local school with its high test scores and stellar reputation was not a good match for her sensitive and creative daughter. Amber’s son, a naturally structured little boy who prided himself on following rules, caused her to worry that a traditional educational model might promote too many rigid behaviors and not help him explore enough of his own thoughts and ideas as he followed a well-defined and entrenched path of learning. Seeking alternative educational options, Amber soon learned Santa Clarita Valley schools, including private institutions, focused on traditional models that did not respond to the instructional needs of her children.

Amber began touring the state looking for alternative educational models that fostered learning beyond multiple-choice tests and a "one size fits all"; approach to learning. Over the course of her search, Amber found exciting educational innovations that focused on providing youth with the necessary skills for achieving 21st century demands. Amber also learned that while it would have been more financially prudent to establish a private school, her interest in educational reform and alternative educational models had become a newfound passion. Amber decided to create a charter school so that access to innovative educational instruction would be accessible to a wider range of students throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. Amber's efforts quickly found its grassroots supporters among other Santa Clarita Valley residents, many of whom had been home schooling their children due to a lack of local educational options. Soon innovative educators became interested in Amber's efforts and an email list turned into a founding group that launched SCVi. When the time came, Amber selected a board of directors who reflected the necessary leadership needed to establish facilities, a financial and business framework and individuals with educationally progressive expertise.

When Amber is not taking care of her 2 school-aged children or working at SCVi where she currently oversees all operations, facilities and business development, among other things, she can usually be found working as a community activist. She founded a local chapter of another non-profit in an effort to protect children from gun violence. She has lobbied in both Sacramento and Washington for safety issues on behalf of our community.

A graduate of Cal State University at Long Beach, she has traveled the world, usually with kids in tow, and has worked hard to bring an international perspective to her family.  Amber first traveled though Europe after graduating from college with a degree in interior design, but the heart for doing something more. Inspired by Oprah Winfrey, a woman who has realized great success through making a difference, she went into television—working as a producer to create hundreds of hours of network television. She was responsible for multimillion-dollar budgets, hiring staff, and the start-up of new companies, including work in payables, receivables, and a host of other management activities. She managed several different staffs of 100-plus, including some especially difficult talent relations. These experiences prepared her for the most difficult of all producing jobs: being a mom. She can be reached at amber.raskin@scvcharterschool.org

Keith Raskin, Founder
Keith Raskin is a producer and an executive in charge of production in the entertainment industry.  During his almost 20-year tenure, he has been directly responsible for the start-up of multiple production companies.  He has managed staffs as large as 400 and budgets as large as 25 million.  As an executive in charge of production, he negotiates union contracts, resolves human resources issues, and oversees facilities management.  Raskin has been financially responsible for more than 1,500 hours of television.  He has worked all over the country and the world.  Recently he traveled to Moscow to train and advise a Russian Network, creating multi-camera situation comedies for Sony Pictures Television. He can be reached at keith@scvcharterschool.org.

Sharlene Atwood
Sharlene comes to us as first a mother of 4 children ranging in ages from 12 to 1.  She is dedicated to helping her children love lea?rning and become lifelong learners. She is a certified public accountant who graduated with honors from Brigham Young University in accounting.  Her first job after college was working as an auditor for a CPA firm in Newport Beach, California, specializing in non-profit and governmental accounting.  When her children were young, she started a successful home-based tax business.  During non-tax season, she worked as a part-time consultant for various municipalities and non-profit organizations throughout southern California.  Recently, Sharlene helped a family member establish an accounting system and accounting policies for a Chinese-based furniture business.  Sharlene has always had a love and interest for other countries and cultures around the world.  She speaks Italian and lived in Italy for 18 months and enjoys visiting other countries.  She brings her professional experience, her dedication to her children’s education, and her passion  learning to Santa Clarita Valley International.

Renee Marshall, Board Member
Renee Marshall teaches for College of the Canyons in their education and early childhood education departments.  Additionally, she is working as a project director for COC's Teacher Preparation Pipeline grant.  Renee's involvement in the charter school movement is new, but she is passionate about education being developmentally appropriate and individualized for children.  Renee has a bachelor's degree in development psychology and a master's degree in education from the University of California at Santa Cruz.  She spent time teaching elementary school in both northern and southern California before obtaining her master's degree in educational Administration from CSUN.

Renee has spent many years in the classroom.  She started as a preschool teacher in the UCSC family student housing lab school.  She transitioned into elementary school teaching and has taught a variety of grade levels.  While teaching elementary school, she became involved in the Castaic Diversity Task Force and helped by providing training and facilitation directed towards promoting equity in the classroom.

Renee believes that education needs to be individually tailored for each child in the classroom and that the well-being of the child needs to be at the core of the educational experience.  She is excited about her partnership with Santa Clarita International Charter School and looks forward to the future of the school. Renee resides in Castaic, California, with her husband of 10 years and her 1-year-old twins.  She can be reached at renee@scvcharterschool.org.

Franca Campopiano, Founding Board Member
Franca has been with Odyssey Charter School for 6 years, 3 as the director of education and 3 as the executive director.  Under Franca's leadership as executive director, the school raised its API over 80 points.  The school was re-chartered and received facilities under Prop 39 from Pasadena Unified School District. 

Prior to joining the Odyssey team,  she was a classroom teacher for eight years at Linda Vista Elementary in PUSD, where she developed a K-2 multi-age program, spearheaded an after-school reading program for at-risk students, was a member of the Program Quality Review Team, and chaired "Family Reading Nights." While a teacher, Franca also served as adjunct professor at Pacific Oaks College and Claremont Graduate University, where she taught teacher education courses for several years. Franca has had much experience working with teachers by serving as a master and mentor teacher for new teachers and student teachers, collaborating with teachers as a math leader and developing Saturday intervention programs in collaboration with local teacher education programs.

Franca was also nominated for the Teacher of Excellence Award for 2 consecutive years. Franca has completed 2 and a half years of her doctoral studies at Claremont Graduate University, where she also earned her clear teaching credential and master of arts in education in 1993. This school year, Franca will participate in Leadership Pasadena with other local community leaders. When time permits, Franca enjoys exercise, reading, and travel. 

In the fall of 2007, Franca stepped down as executive director of Odyssey to stay home with her newborn.  She can be reached at franca@scvcharterschool.org.

Antoinette Peragine-Tabbanella, Founder
Antoinette Peragine-Tabbanella is a professional actress, producer, business owner, wife, and mother to two energetic boys.  Antoinette created and owns Beforetheparty.com, a successful company that provides service staff for special events in the Los Angeles area.  Antoinette employs and schedules over 100 staff members for 15 to 20 different events and venues weekly, including many high-profile and celebrity clients. Antoinette's company enjoys an unparalleled reputation within the business for scouting and placing dynamic individuals with the highest professional standards

Antoinette believes life should be lived with a sense of purpose, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit. She understands firsthand the power of the right education to foster these qualities. Antoinette credits her own education with encouraging her to integrate classroom learning with the culture, history, and treasures of the world beyond the school doors. As a founding member of the International School of Santa Clarita, Antoinette is thrilled to be able to  bring together her skills as a successful business owner and her passion for a  broad-based education with her commitment to her family and her community. She can be reached at antoinette@scvcharterschool.org

Courtney Lackey
Courtney Lackey, as a commercial real estate broker, specializes in commercial real estate investment management and brokerages services.  For over 18 years she has worked with many of the top commercial real estate firms and managed teams of more than 60 people.  Additionally, she has experience working with city departments on facilities and obtaining permits and variances approved and has overseen multimillion-dollar, high-profile development projects in the heart of Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she has a dual major in real estate investment analysis and development and marketing.  Courtney has extensive experience in leadership, financial oversight, and negotiations.  She can be reached at courtney@scvcharterschool.org.